T.N: Thank you Annie for your very, very generous donation! Unfortunately, I don’t have a stash of translated chapters, so I can only work hard and try to publish your extra chapter later today! At the very least, it will be on tomorrow, I hope you don’t mind! And once again, thank you for liking this novel and for the very lovely comments!
Manager Sun was very upset after getting his face slapped. He secretly waited for Xu Shen and the others to find bad luck. However, after waiting left and right, he couldn’t see any big movement from the boss above.
Upon inquiring, he found out that Xu Shen was not doing business locally at all… The boss he worked with made his fortune in other places, so the Yuan family didn’t care at all. Or, they cared but they couldn’t control it.
There were ways, like trying to force them to leave by squeezing the market space, engaging in price wars, etc, but they couldn’t do anything since the other party produced and sold their products on a different market.
Yuan Feng reported the results of his investigation to his father. Yuan Min, who had been in business for many years, said: “In terms of clothing production, the coastal areas have the right time and location… We have already monopolized the business over there. How dare they set up a garment factory right here, in Nanshi?! There are no advantages.”1I think I need to explain this: the Yuan family produces their clothes on the coast, where the prices of fabrics/workforce/machines are cheaper because of the proximity to the trading routes. And then they sell their products back home, in Nanshi, with Nanshi as their distribution market. Shu Ran is doing the exact opposite, he brings everything back inland from the coast and then sells his products internationally, because he can interact and communicate with foreign customers, something that the Yuan family can’t do. Bringing things from the coast to Nanshi is exponentially more expensive because of the additional transportation costs, but since they have their own transportation fleet, it doesn’t really matter. The Yuan family can’t really do anything to them at this point, since they don’t interfere with their business at all. They don’t produce in the same place (one on the coast, the other in Nanshi) and they don’t sell on the same market either (one locally, the other internationally).
“Well, I also don’t think there is any advantage.” Yuan Feng continued. “If it was possible to make money with a garment factory so far away from the coast, everyone would have done it a long time ago.”
You could force it, but the cost would be much higher than in the coastal areas, so it was better to do as their family did and set up your factory directly over there..
“Look, it will only last a few days…” Yuan Min predicted, with a rather emotional tone: “The Chen family doesn’t have the brains to do business. Their father couldn’t do it, so how could his sons achieve anything?”
But Yuan Feng answered with a smile: “The factory does not belong to the Chen brothers alone. I guess they just contributed money, but there are others who do the work. For example, Xu Shen, who is pretty good at it.”
Yuan Min had heard of Xu Shen’s name before. His beloved little daughter seemed to have had a crush on him, so Yuan Min investigated and got the impression that the boy was from a bad background. Just like he was back in his youth, someone with a mixed social background and a bad brain.
Maybe a little better than the Chen brothers, but probably not by much.
Later, Xu Shen rejected the olive branch offered by Yuan Xiaobing, saving Yuan Min from having to interfere and forcefully separate them… After all, he was finally out on his own and he only wanted to make friends with the upper class. Yuan Min swore he would never allow any of his children to marry those with a low upbringing.
…………
The small factory that Yuan Min had been thinking about for the last few days had to file its quarterly taxes for the first time. That was a good opportunity for Jiang Fan to shine, but he was timid: “I have too many acquaintances at the tax bureau, so I don’t want to go. Who should be going?”
“I won’t go either, I don’t understand anything.” Chen Kai said, very self-awarely.
The remaining Chen Sen scratched his head, feeling that no one in the team would think he was the best candidate, right?! No?
Sure enough, everyone passed by him and looked directly at Shu Ran and Xu Shen. Shu Ran knew that was going to be the outcome from the very beginning, so he stretched his muscles and spoke one step ahead of Xu Shen: “I’ll go.”
Xu Shen didn’t want to be left behind, so he added: “I can go as well.”
“You think you’re not busy enough? Keep busy with your work. The deadline for the next order is coming soon.” Shu Ran turned to look at him, opened the drawer, and prepared the materials he needed to file tax returns. “I’ll just take a ride back and forth for half a day. That’s all.”
Xu Shen was not very relieved and thought about it for a while, but right at that moment, Li Jie came in and said that the trucks had been unloaded: “Brother Shen, is there anything else we need to transport?”
“Yes, yes, please transport me.” Shu Ran immediately raised his hand and said while turning over the accounts: “Brother Jie, wait for me, I’ll go out and run some errands.”
“Okay.” Li Jie sat down to wait for Shu Ran.
Xu Shen couldn’t say anything because he really was busy. He only had time to drink some water before he went to deal with the fabrics that had just arrived. It was all for the next order, and they needed to ship it before the Spring Festival. Foreigners were placing more and more orders, and it was estimated that the first batch they produced was already sold out.
The factory was working hard to finish before the Spring Festival so that everyone could have money to spend for a good new year.
It also marked the first year he and Shu Ran had been together. Xu Shen glanced at his wife without any trace and began to look forward to the future in his heart.
“Li Jie, pour yourself some tea. I’ll go and get busy first.” Xu Shen patted Li Jie’s arm, stood up, and walked out of the office.
Shu Ran raised his head distracted for a second, but then continued to organize the document bag. After gathering everything, he called to Li Jie: “Brother Jie, let’s go.”
At the tax bureau, the lady who handled taxes for Shu Ran looked at the accounts of the garment factory… Wasn’t that a new factory? Why were there so many accounts for one quarter?! After settling everything, the big sister said: “You are a newly opened factory, so you have a discount in the first year.”
Shu Ran: “Okay.” Was there such a good thing? Maybe it was a local policy. After all, setting up factories could boost the economy and create more jobs.
After Shu Ran left, the big sister started chatting in the workplace: “Is it so profitable to run a garment factory nowadays?” The accounts were so exciting!
“It’s not profitable… The performance of the factories I handle is mediocre. They complain every day that they can’t continue.” The colleague next door immediately showed up to explain.
“It’s a business that some people can do…They had this number in just one quarter…” The big sister gestured with her fingers.
“So much?!” Everyone in the unit looked surprised. “That’s indeed a lot of money…”
People in the workplace would inevitably discuss those situations, even with their relatives and friends. The word was passed down one after another, and finally, even Jiang Hang heard about it. The words “garment factory” reminded him of his brother’s friend who ran a clothing company… Could it be that one?
But his wife, Liu Li, busted his bubble: “It’s just survivorship bias. As soon as they hear that a garment factory is making money, everyone is ready to gossip about it. But they don’t know that many people have already gone bankrupt.”
“That’s right…” Jiang Hang agreed with a smile. “To do this business, you have to look at the coast. I heard from my friends from there that running a garment factory is very popular. Amazingly, there are also people here in Nanshi who can do it.”
“Xiaofan, how is the performance of your friend’s clothing company?” Liu Li asked.
“Ah? I heard it’s okay.” Jiang Fan smiled.
In the past, what Jiang Fan wanted the most was to be recognized by his brother and sister-in-law. Now that his brother-in-law and sister-in-law were really discussing their factory, he was actually indifferent. After making real money, he felt that Shu Ran was right. His ideological level was higher than before, and he was no longer working hard for the limelight.
Before taking the first steps, he dared to dream about a broader world, but now, he knew that it was not the time to be complacent yet.
Jiang Fan was stunned when that thought entered his mind. He felt as if he had grown up overnight!
That kind of soul upgrade change was a bit refreshing!
…………
Although the weather was getting colder, the orders their factory received were still for summer and autumn clothes, and the foreign boss only looked for that style, making Shu Ran feel quite happy. If Roosevelt wanted to make winter clothes, he would have to consider it. The cost would be too high and the profit limited.
Winter clothes were produced only in small quantities, for their own use. For things such as cotton jackets, long coats, etc, Shu Ran selfishly wanted to design them for his boyfriend to wear, so he could be as handsome and eye-catching as he liked.
The five young shareholders were all handsome men. Every time he saw them in all their glory, Shu Ran secretly regretted that he couldn’t open a front store in Nanshi… Otherwise, Xu Shen, that male vixen, could be the face of their brand, guaranteeing that the threshold of their store would be hammered into the ground.
“What are you thinking about smiling like that?” Xu Shen came in only to see his wife giggling. He also smiled and picked up the coat on the chair and put it on: “Shall we go home?”
“Not yet,” Shu Ran shook his head and asked: “Have all the finished products been put into storage?”
“Everything is in.” Xu Shen said.
They were busy rushing goods at the end of the year and everyone got off work late. Recently, they had been spending most of their time in the factory, and Shu Ran was missing having a meal at home.
He finally put away the office materials at hand, put on a cotton coat, and followed Xu Shen out of the office. The cold wind hit his face, and Shu Ran couldn’t help but shiver: “It’s so cold.”
“Wrap up tightly, don’t freeze.” Xu Shen warned him carefully.
“Yeah…” Shu Ran responded in a muffled voice.
It was about eight o’clock in the evening, on a quite cold December night.
Xu Shen noticed that his wife buried his face in his body, with his hands deeply stuffed into the pockets of his cotton-padded clothes… He must be very cold…
After returning home, Xu Shen carefully proposed once again: “We still have to buy a car.”
He mentioned that idea to Shu Ran as soon as the weather got cold, but his wife refused to let him do as he pleased, saying that it was not a necessity. Now that they had money, they needed to prepare a proper career plan and expand their business next year.
At first, Xu Shen listened. After all, listening to his wife was his life’s principle after marriage.
But now it was a different situation, seeing how red Shu Ran’s nose was from the cold. Damn his career plan, Xu Shen didn’t care about it! All he knew was that his wife was freezing in the back seat of his bicycle.
“I didn’t mean…” Shu Ran was about to refuse, but he sneezed in the middle of the sentence. Really embarrassing… That sneeze was really untimely…
He said before that they should not buy a car yet and save the money until next year. However, Xu Shen did not seem to accept his proposal.
“You’re talking nonsense.” Xu Shen took off his gloves, held Shu Ran’s face with his warm palms, and moved closer to add a little warmth to the other person’s lips that had lost their color due to the cold.
Shu Ran was blown by the cold wind all the way back. He was really shivering, but Xu Shen hugged him into his cotton-padded clothes and kissed him twice, keeping away the cold.
“Are you warm?” After a long time, Xu Shen let go of him, pressed his forehead against his, and rubbed his ears with his fingers.
Shu Ran said sheepishly: “It’s… warmer.” He was really…
“You didn’t expect your husband to be able to use his body like this, right?” Xu Shen looked at his expression and guessed with a smile.
“It’s getting late.” Shu Ran directly bypassed the problem and continued: “I’m going to boil water.”
“I’ll cook the medicine.” Xu Shen relied on his strong body heat and took his coat off as if it wasn’t winter. He took two steps and turned back: “I’m going to buy a car tomorrow.”
When Shu Ran looked over, the other party was already gone… His husband had the bad habit of being overbearing.
Shu Ran stood still and thought for a while, but ended up not objecting again. Let’s just buy it… He didn’t know how cold the winter in Nanshi was. If he really got sick, the gain would outweigh the loss.
With the coal stove burning, there was no need to worry about anything. Xu Shen and Shu Ran huddle together at the door of the stove, quietly warming themselves up by the fire.
“That car… you can buy it if you want. I agree.” Shu Ran cleared his throat and said suddenly.
Xu Shen said nothing, took his hand, and kissed it gently.
Of course, he had to buy it. The purpose of making money was to improve their lives. If he worked hard to make so much money, but his wife had to be blown by the cold wind every time he stepped outside, then there was no point in getting rich.
…………
Buying a car was a big deal for the average family, something that must be taken seriously, but for Xu Shen and his brothers, it was just a matter of spending some money to buy a transportation tool.
“The factory is busy, shall I go by myself?” Xu Shen didn’t know whether his wife was obsessed with the appearance of the car or not. Anyway, he only valued performance and cost-effectiveness.
“Yes.” Shu Ran really didn’t insist on it: “It’s just a car, do we need to go out with the whole family?”
“Buying a car?” Jiang Fan was also there, patting his thigh: “I told you to buy a car a long time ago, but you’ve delayed until now. It’s too cold to commute to work, right?”
He was the first to buy a car and often urged everyone to buy cars.
However, Chen Kai and the others were not afraid of the cold and loved motorcycles more.
Being single could be free and easy, but Shu Ran’s body looked quite squeamish, and Xu Shen didn’t want to hurt him. Regardless of what everyone thought, Xu Shen did not dare to reveal that it was his wife who had been holding back the purchase… Otherwise, he would have brought one a long time ago.
“Okay, don’t worry,” Xu Shen continued. “I’ll try my best to choose a better-looking one.” He knew that Shu Ran had always been picky about his aesthetics, and he might get scolded if he chose one that was too ugly.
“Stop talking nonsense and go quickly.” Shu Ran urged. There was no large-scale car dealership in Nanshi, so he had to go to the province.
Xu Shen nodded and drove away in Jiang Fan’s car.
Upon arriving at the car dealership in the province, he was confronted with a fresh batch of new cars. Xu Shen took a fancy to a model, tried it on, and bought a blue one because it looked appropriate and family-friendly.
But if he was still single, he would have chosen a black one.
Back in those days, automobile shops liked to decorate new cars with bright red satin bows and transport them to the car owners’ homes, providing first-class services.
Not long after Xu Shen returned to the factory, the new car was also delivered. When they heard that the factory director bought a new car, all the workers in the factory came out to take a look at that beautiful, big baby.
Shu Ran also came out to take a look, and what he saw was a relatively retro-looking car, with a very stylish blue color. It was quite artistic, like a car that could play a supporting role in a French literary film from the 1970s and 1980s. It sure looked good.
He walked over, smiled, and said to Xu Shen: “I know you wanted to choose something good-looking, but you can’t just buy it based on appearance.”
“Do you think it looks good?” Xu Shen laughed.
Shu Ran nodded: “It looks good, I like it.”
“I like it too.” Xu Shen came closer and whispered: “I’ll drive you home tonight.” And then continued, in a normal voice: “It’s not just for appearance. It also performs well.”
As a matter of fact, Xu Shen was not an unreliable man who liked to show off. Everything he did was balanced.
“Hey, did you buy a new car?” Chen Sen and Chen Kai also stood next to the new car and looked at it, smiling and congratulating: “Congratulations, you have a new addition to your family!”
Jiang Fan: “It looks pretty good. Oops… Suddenly I want to buy a new car as well.”
Chen Kai put his hand on his shoulder, acting full of enthusiasm: “You buy a new car and give the old one to me!”
Jiang Fan glanced at him: “And, just so suddenly, I no longer want to buy it…”
Chen Kai: “?”
Shu Ran smiled while watching them rub their brotherhood all over the ground. He lowered his voice and asked Xu Shen: “Do you want a treat for purchasing such a big item?”
“What’s wrong?” Xu Shen also lowered his voice: “You want to treat me?”
Shu Ran had an idea: “Everyone has worked hard since the establishment of the factory… Should we take this opportunity and let your brothers go out and relax?”
Xu Shen suddenly realized what he meant, but shook his head: “No, they have it easy, don’t feel bad for them.”
His wife was reluctant to even buy a car, so how could he let him treat everyone as his guests?! “But we can get off work early today and drive you for a ride in our new car.”
“Okay…” Shu Ran touched his chin and felt it made sense: “Who could be sweet to their brothers but bitter to oneself… Let’s go alone and relax.”
Xu Shen was so amused that he could only nod his head fiercely.
The finished products for their second order were already in the warehouse, awaiting inspection and payment. Xu Shen could finally go and have fun with his wife.
It turned dark early in winter. By the time Shu Ran got into the passenger seat, it was already dusk. However, their sultry blue car drove by on the street, attracting countless heads. Some people even thought it was some rich young man traveling.
Shu Ran looked at the people who were admiring their car through the window and thought to himself… It was not a rich young man, but someone from a bitter and miserable generation.
“It’s too late today. I’ll drive to the vehicle management department tomorrow to go through the formalities and hang the plate.” Xu Shen continued. “My wife, do you have somewhere you want to go?”
“…No.” Shu Ran was used to keeping a low profile, so he felt quite… Uncomfortable to show off like that.
Xu Shen thought for a while and realized that they indeed had nowhere to go. He sighed: “Then I can only drive a luxury car to buy groceries.”
“Luxury… Car…?!” Shu Ran captured the amount of information in his words, suddenly widened his eyes, and said: “I never asked you, how much did you pay for it?”
“It’s quite expensive…” Xu Shen said the number truthfully.
“Hiss, you prodigal man!” Shu Ran gasped first, and then his flesh throbbed with pain.
But what was expensive in his eyes, was not on the same level as what was expensive in Xu Shen’s eyes.
“Are you okay?” Xu Shen turned a corner and went to the vegetable market. He was not used to driving in urban areas, so he was a little constrained: “We can make that money with just one order… It’s mainly because you said you like it.”
“If I had known the price before, I would not have said I liked it…” Shu Ran said while rubbing his heart, with a buzzing head.
“Then I’ll continue to be the one who pays.” Xu Shen smiled: “Boss Shu, let’s look at the bigger picture.”
“Don’t tell me about the bigger picture! These two words are so annoying!” Shu Ran couldn’t help but think about those bloggers who sold courses online and succeeded in making himself angry.
Xu Shen drove with one hand while using the other to make a zipper gesture over his mouth, signaling his willingness to shut up.
“The money from the last two orders…” Shu Ran pointed at him: “You didn’t leave me with a single penny!”
“I said we should open an account for you to keep, but you said no…” Xu Shen stopped laughing. “Now you’re scolding me again.”
“Are you still reasonable?” Shu Ran glared at him.
“I was wrong, I’ll go and buy groceries.” Xu Shen had always been quick to admit his mistakes, mainly because he felt that he would suffer if he continued to struggle: “Are you coming?”
“No…” Having said that, Shu Ran finally got out of the car and looked back at the beautiful antique on the roadside. That was the first money he and Xu Shen made together… Okay, just buy it! One dared to buy it, and the other one dared to like it!
So now what? Shu Ran thought of a question. Did it mean that he and Xu Shen were now bombing the streets?!2Here, bombing has the meaning of “awesome” Anyway, when they came back from the grocery store, many people were admiring their beautiful car.
And Shu Ran… Shu Ran felt ashamed again.
Fortunately, he also had a share in making the money, otherwise, it would have felt like driving around with his sugar daddy!!!
As night fell, the cold wind howled, and sitting in the warm car, Xu Shen looked at his wife who was no longer exposed to the cold, feeling very satisfied.
The next morning, that beautiful blue car appeared on the streets of Nanshi again, and Xu Shen drove it to get the license plate. The procedure was surprisingly fast, probably because the workload was small.
Xu Shen was sitting in the rest area waiting when he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from behind, bringing with it a vast amount of bad luck.
“Comrade, I’m in a hurry, can you please let me go first?”
It was Yuan Jun. He recently asked his mother for money and also purchased a new car, waiting to get the license plate.
The staff member said to him: “Comrade, there is only one person in front of you, and the process is already halfway done. Sit down and wait. It will be your turn soon.”
Yuan Jun walked in and turned to ask the staff: “Is that the person that’s in front of me?!”
“Yes.” The staff pointed at the car outside: “That blue car belongs to him.”
Everyone liked beautiful cars, and the staff spoke with admiration.
Yuan Jun suddenly felt that his white car had lost its style and was not as good-looking as the blue one.
“Xu Shen, have you bought a car?!” Yuan Jun walked over to say hello, but Xu Shen gave him a strange look and ignored him.
“Hello, we have no grievances!” Yuan Jun sat down next to Xu Shen, his attitude surprisingly good: “My eldest brother admires you very much.”
Xu Shen: “Then thank him.”
Yuan Jun: “If you were willing to come and work for us, my eldest brother would have definitely treated you well… If nothing else…” He pointed to the car outside: “It wouldn’t have taken you so long to afford a car.”
It turned out that he was there to poach him, so Xu Shen understood why that guy had such a good attitude. He answered with a smile: “No need, my current treatment is very good.”
Yuan Jun didn’t believe it: “Hey, who are you trying to trick? What good treatment can the Chen brothers give you?!” He continued: “You bought that car with your savings, right?”
“That’s not true.” Xu Shen was idle anyway, so he just talked to pass the time: “I follow a new boss.” He also said: “That car was rewarded by the new boss.”
Yuan Jun’s eyes widened: “A new boss?! Who?”
“You wouldn’t know his name… He’s a very powerful boss that’s also very young.” Xu Shen closed his eyes and continued: “If I didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t know there is such a person in the world. He’s only eighteen years old, but he can speak with foreigners, write, and do business. Do you understand?”
Yuan Jun was initially frightened, but upon hearing that the boss was only eighteen years old, he sneered: “You’re just bragging.”
“Really.” Xu Shen has been holding some things in his heart for too long. He has long wanted to show off Shu Ran, but unfortunately, there has never been a suitable opportunity or a suitable partner for conversation. Now Yuan Jun himself came to his door to count his bad luck: “What? Can you write books that get published? His book will be on the market in the next two days, and he is only eighteen.”
Yuan Jun was stunned for a moment, but still wanted to struggle: “You can just pay for it if you have money, it’s bullshit.”
“The publishing house rushed to help him pay for the manuscript fee…” Xu Shen gave Yuan Jun a pitiful look: “Don’t you know? Only those whose manuscripts are not up to standard need to pay out of their own pockets.”
So what, Yuan Jun disdainfully said: “What’s so great about being able to write a few bland sentences?!”
Xu Shen thought to himself, at least he can write…
“My new boss can speak foreign languages and communicate with foreigners as smoothly as if speaking in his native language. Can you do that?”
Yuan Jun also learned a foreign language from his tutor at home… When Xu Shen mentioned something that could only be regarded as his black history, his face immediately twisted.
He just went out to get a license plate… How come it became a foreign language competition?!
Xu Shen smiled: “He can make nearly one million in sales in just half a year, can you do that?”
When Yuan Jun heard that he finally froze, and then stared at Xu Shen as if questioning whether Xu Shen was lying or not… “Nearly a million?”
The car he just bought was only tens of thousands of yuan, but he probably wouldn’t be able to earn that much money in ten years… Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to ask his mother for money.
Xu Shen’s new boss could make nearly one million in sales in half a year. It sounded like a fairy tale, very hard to believe.
“Well, how else could I afford a car otherwise? Do you actually think Chen Kai and his brother could buy it for me?” Xu Shen thought to himself: “I’m sorry, brothers, I will use your names to give my wife a foothold first!”
Yuan Jun really didn’t think that… He would rather believe that Xu Shen’s new boss was too powerful than believe that Chen Kai and his brother could make a fortune.
But Xu Shen’s new boss still made him feel very aggrieved: “Congratulations, you have found a good boss! I guess his family is already well-off!” Yuan Jun still had a piece of his brain intact. How could someone learn foreign languages if they come from a poor family? Not to mention the fact that he could also write and do business…
Xu Shen did not deny that. In fact, he could tell that his wife’s real family background should be quite good…
Words, deeds, aesthetics… Those were things that couldn’t be hidden.
After bragging a lot, Xu Shen’s license plate procedures were finally completed. Yuan Jun, that temporary tool for boredom, was thrown away after getting used, left to watch in the cold as Xu Shen drove away.
Fourth Young Master Yuan’s mind was filled with the 18-year-old awesome new boss that Xu Shen spoke of. On one hand, he felt that it was impossible. Xu Shen must have lied. But on the other hand, he felt that there were people out there who were out of the ordinary, so maybe it was true.
He struggled, desperate for an answer, hoping someone would tell him it was impossible.
So when Yuan Jun got home, he shared his desolation with the first person he met, his sister: “Xiao Bing, do you believe there are people in this world who can publish books, speak foreign languages, and are good at doing business?!”
“Believe it, what’s there not to believe?” Yuan Xiaobing nodded. The world was full of outstanding people. Just because her useless brother couldn’t do something, it didn’t mean that others were also incapable: “Fourth brother, did you hit your head outside again?”
Yuan Jun glared at her: “What if that person is only eighteen years old?”
“This…” Yuan Xiaobing hesitated, eighteen years old was still a bit young.
“Yeah, I just knew Xu Shen was lying!” Yuan Jun breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was not true.
“What’s the matter with Xu Shen?” Yuan Xiaobing asked.
“He found a new boss and bragged to me that his new boss is only eighteen years old, yet he can speak foreign languages, publish his own books, and is good at business.” Yuan Jun clicked his tongue.
“Hey…” If that was something that Chen Kai said, Yuan Xiaobing wouldn’t believe it, but since it was Xu Shen who said it… “I don’t think he’s lying.”
Yuan Jun showed contempt: “You like him, of course, you say so.”
“I liked him!” Yuan Xiaobing corrected, slapping the table: “He’s married, so I don’t like him anymore! Please be more respectful when you speak in the future!”
Yuan Jun knew that he had said the wrong thing and awkwardly revealed: “But he is really energetic. We met when I went out today. He was well dressed and even bought a new car…”
He looked even more like a wealthy young master than Yuan Jun!
After saying that, he went to bother Yuan Feng with the same questions.
“There are still people like that?” Yuan Feng asked.
“Who knows, maybe Xu Shen is just bragging…” Yuan Jun couldn’t get an answer, not even from his eldest brother, so he went back to his house gloomily.
But Yuan Feng was lost in thought. Did Xu Shen’s new boss really know foreign languages? Suddenly, he remembered the voice he had heard when he made a wrong call. It was indeed young and sweet, and the conditions were right. However, the factory should have been a joint venture between Xu Shen and others, and there was no telling who was the real boss behind it.
Yuan Feng picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number: “Xiao Lin, how old is Mr. Jiang’s youngest son?”
This question was a bit biased. Xiao Lin went to ask about it before calling back: “Young Master, he should be around twenty-one.”
As expected… Yuan Feng was not surprised at all, because he had already heard that Jiang Fan was uneducated. Otherwise, how could he hang out with Xu Shen and the others?
So… Who was that eighteen-year-old mysterious boss?!
Yuan Feng’s appetite was whetted a little.
…………
Shu Ran’s book was about to be distributed in the next two days, and the publisher had already sent the finished product to various bookstores, waiting to be displayed in the most conspicuous places, along with the latest works of other writers.
To better sell their books, the staff of the bookstore liked to read the newly released works, but they were not interested in all the new books. Many times they just skimmed through them and wrote basic summaries.
But that time around, there was a new book that was very easy to read. The text was humorous and the content interesting. They could almost read it in one sitting after picking it up, and then praise it with bright eyes: “Wonderful, this reversal is very exciting!”
There were not many mystery novels back in those days, and Shu Ran’s “Stairway” fully took advantage of that. The staff even bought a lot of it before it even went on sale. Everyone wanted to share it with their fellow readers quickly.
Shu Ran received the sample book and royalties from the postman early in the morning, along with his manuscript. He didn’t care to open the small envelope, which was not that thick, but took the lead in opening the sample books inside the paper box. There were five of them, and the cover had a black-and-white staircase element drawn on it, looking quite suspenseful.
After opening it and taking a look, Shu Ran was satisfied with the quality of the paper and fonts. After all, books from that era did not have so many tricks and were relatively simple.
Shu Ran took the box to his bedroom, and while Xu Shen was busy in the bathroom, he sat at the desk and opened a book, using a pen to write a dedication for Xu Shen… Or at least he wanted to, but he held the pen without knowing what to write, completely devoid of any ideas.
He had a lot of material in his brain, some of which were heart-warming phrases, some were inspirational quotes, and there were even many funny jokes that could be used, but it was for Xu Shen… Was he crazy?! Was he really planning on writing a funny dedication to his boyfriend?! Some jokes…?!
He wasn’t that good… So what to write?!
Unexpectedly… Shu Ran scratched his head and thought about it…
Bad language, no… Then he thought again… That’s too greasy! No. He scratched his head irritably, once again verifying whether he really was a transmigrated college student.
Wasn’t it just a dedication and a signature?! What did it matter if the recipient of the gift was a bit special?!
Shu Ran felt that no matter what he wrote, Xu Shen would happily embrace it and never care whether it was bad or not.
“Wife!” Xu Shen liked to call him every day when he had nothing to do at home.
When Shu Ran heard his voice, he no longer hesitated. He wrote quickly, finished signing his name, and then viciously closed the book. He didn’t dare to look at it, for fear of getting grease all over his face.
“You…” Xu Sheng was about to say something when he suddenly saw the sample book on the table. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled and asked: “Is that the sample book?”
“Yes.” Shu Ran handed him the book that had his dedication inside, mumbling: “Here… This is the first book signed by the author.”
Xu Shen took it, looked at Shu Ran with a smile, then sat down on the bed and slowly opened it…
Shu Ran opened the second book and silently pretended to be concentrating on writing dedications for others but in fact, he was not. He was concentrating on listening to Xu Shen’s movements.
Soon he heard Xu Shen’s laughter, which didn’t contain any messy emotions, just a happy smile.
“Ahem.” Shu Ran finally couldn’t hold it back. He turned around and looked into Xu Shen’s bright eyes, pretending to be calm, and said: “What I wrote for you… It’s better to not show it to others if you don’t want trouble!”
Xu Shen nodded: “I won’t.”
He lowered his eyes and stared at the title page again. What Shu Ran wrote for him was a two-line poem. It was a very uneducated piece of literature, something that was quite shabby and gross, but he liked it very much and laughed when he saw it.
What Shu Ran said to him could be loosely translated as a simple feeling: “We are husband and wife, and our love is unquestionable.”
That was Shu Ran’s first gift to him, a gift that was undoubtedly very good. Xu Shen stroked the cover and smiled so hard that the corners of his mouth became sore. Holding that book, he suddenly remembered all the bragging he stuffed into Yuan Jun’s face two days before… He was really not bragging. Every word was spoken from the bottom of his heart, okay?!
Shu Ran turned around, but his mood was also very hot. With all that “marriage first, love later” mindset, he felt that Xu Shen’s attitude was a bit overwhelming. He could only hold his chin and calm down before continuing to write dedications for other people.
That was so much simpler. He didn’t even have to think about it at all. It was enough to just write a sincere blessing to each person according to their different personalities.
After he finished writing, Xu Shen was still there admiring his book. Shu Ran couldn’t stand it anymore: “Do you need that much time to read one single page?”
Xu Shen was not ashamed to get caught, so he said openly: “Yes, I haven’t seen enough.”
He couldn’t get enough of the love words written by his precious wife.
“It’s almost nine o’clock, Boss Xu…” Shu Ran checked the time and ordered: “Put away the books and get dressed for work.”
“Right away.” Xu Shen read his dedication one last time before putting the book away gingerly. He could continue staring at that page when he came back in the evening. Now it was time to go out and live life with his wife.
But Xu Shen’s sharp eyes also saw Shu Ran’s manuscript: “Wife, can you give me the manuscript as well?”
“No.” Shu Ran said. “I have to keep this one for myself.”
Xu Shen smiled, thinking that it was okay. He could still look at it whenever he wanted.
T.N: I really like moments like this when Xu Shen gets to act according to his age. Sometimes he’s mature and a man you can count on, but other times he’s really mischievous and a little bit of a “bear child” and I really love it. I think that’s exactly how a 22 year old should act. Sometimes I read novels where the Author describes a ML like he’s James Bond or something, but then go ahead and make him 19 and I’m like… Listen, I’m sure he’s nice and all that, but I’ve been around 19 year old boys before and that’s just not it :)) So it feels good to read about his antics, his bantering with his friends and this little moments when he’s traumatizing other characters, like poor Manager Sun before and now his newest victim, Yuan Jun :))
